GETTING MARRIED IN HAWAII IS GETTING EXPENSIVE

Well, that’s not an honest title.  Scratch that!  Take Two!

Vacationing in Hawaii IS expensive!

I’ve been writing these articles about the cost of vacationing and getting married in Hawaii, for the last three years, and I’m sorry to report to you that the situation is still dire.  While wedding prices have not gone up, the price of everything else – has.  It’s an election year, and the narrative coming from the White House is that the economy is strong and inflation is under control.  It’s a lie.  At least from what I can see, and from what my pocketbook tells me, not to mention, what by clients report.  If our economy were strong, prices would start to come down due to price wars.

Why is everything still expensive?

Well, let’s be blunt.  It’s politics.  And it’s the fault of the Democrat party.

When President Biden took office, he immediately reversed every executive order President Trump signed into law.   Subsequently, drilling and exploring for oil on American soil became nearly impossible.   Biden also canceled the XL pipeline.  Upon completion, this pipeline would take oil created in Canada through the states, to the Gulf of Mexico, where it would then be transported via barge to Europe and Africa.  These two actions gave the power of the price of oil back to OPEC oligarchs and Russia.   The prices of gas began to rise immediately after Biden took office, and since EVERYTHING touches oil, the cost of doing business went up as well.

But it wasn’t all of Biden’s fault.   Local Democrats fell into line and started enacting other left-leaning policies.

Here in Hawaii, our government embraced green energy policies. We spent money on a $12 billion electric rail that no one used and that we couldn’t afford. Our local politicians then ignored our aging oil generators, which were older than our State, and focused our energy production on solar and wind, both of which are becoming failing investments.  That raised our energy prices even higher.  Consequently -households, on average, have electricity bills of $500 plus.   And, made our energy grid here on Oahu incredibly unstable.  The Democrats here, like all Democrats, are just looking to tax, regulate, tax, regulate, and tax more – because apparently, they know better than all of us.

They tacked on a “Hawaii Transient Accommodations Tax” of 10.25%.  The revenues of this tax are supposed to help market Hawaii, but that doesn’t happen.   Then there’s the “Oahu Transient Accomation’s Tax,” of 3% which is another tax added to vacationers for who knows what.  And on top of that, you’ll pay a 4.75% tax.  Now, here’s the kicker.   With every tax, there’s a subtotal, and that new total gets taxed.  And then you get a new subtotal, and that’s taxed.   So each tax – actually taxes tax.    So you won’t just end up paying a total of 19.75% of taxes, you’ll probably end up paying 25% more!

Where is all of this money going?  Well, our politicians did give themselves a 60% pay raise.  They surely are not spending money on our roads, government buildings, or getting the homeless off the streets.  They did spend money trying to sue Trump a while back, though.  And they are trying to kick them off the ballot here as well.   See what I mean by trying to be in the Democrat Cool Kids club?

Oh, what else are they doing now?  A lot of State Parks that were free to use.   Well, they want to charge tourists to use them – because of – you guessed it – Climate Change.

It won’t surprise me if local Democrats start pushing for $20 minimum wage.  They already raised it a year earlier, which resulted in a handful of restaurants going under.   Outback and Buca De Beppo said they are closing due to the high operating cost in Hawaii.

Sticker shock from most of my brides

Just a few weeks ago, a client of mine who’s having their wedding later this year, finally booked their hotel.  They paid close to $7000 for a week-long stay.  It was around $600 a night.  Then, with taxes and the car rental, it came out to a whopping 7k.   And this wasn’t for an oceanfront suit.  This was a mountain view regular room.

Why did this happen?

The hotels just settled a strike with their unions (who the politicians back).  Consequently, the hotel’s operating costs shot up, and vacationers were stuck with the bill.   It didn’t help that our politicians destroyed the vacation rental industry, with pressure from the hotel lobby/donor class.  Less competition from the vacation rentals meant hotels could jack up their prices.

Pre-COVID, hotel rooms in Waikiki were only $150 a night. Now, they’re close to $600 a night.

So, what’s the solution?

If possible, book a vacation rental that is considered “grandfathered” so it is unaffected by the instead of 3-month vacation rental booking law.  Yes, vacation rentals that are not “grandfathered” or not in the resort area, can only take accept 3-month long reservations.   It’s unconstitutional and communist, in my opinion.  After all, that vacation rental is private property.   How can the government tell you who you could rent your property to, and how long?   Anyway, back to business.   My favorite vacation rentals are the ones available on Team Real Estate’s Website.  For one week, you can book a 2 bedroom 2 bath A-frame house on the ocean for $630 (w/o taxes).  Here’s the kicker.  It sleeps eight, so this bill can be split.  Per person, it’s $78.75 per night.   Per couple, it’s $157.50 per night.

Do I think things will get better?  Only if this dude gets into office

Honestly, even if Trump gets elected and our gas prices go down, our local government will still continue to tax and regulate us to death here.   Unless we can get smart politicians in our local government, who are moral and creative, paradise will continue to be affordable to only the wealthy. Trump’s win will definitely bring the cost of oil down, but things here in Hawaii will still be expensive with the Democrats in power.   I can only pray that his policies make us all richer to overcome liberal policies that continue to make Hawaii unaffordable – for everyone.  If you’re richer, you can say, “$600 a night is a drop in the bucket.”

Author information

Steve Young

THE BIG MAN at Dream Weddings Hawaii

I pretty much do everything around here, from photography and video production, to the organization of all of my weddings. As you can see, I'm also the head writer too! If for some reason you can't reach me at my direct line, or my toll free number, feel free to hit me up on my company cell at (808) 479-0685. Call anytime...well, almost anytime. Don't call on Super Bowl Sunday or when the Philadelphia Eagles are playing!

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Yeah, I had a bit too much fun with the AI feature in Photoshop

YOUR HAWAII WEDDING AND AI

“What’s possible?  What’s happening?”

Back when I was younger, we had a movie called Terminator, and it was all about AI. (I don’t care how old you are, you should have seen this movie!)  But just in case you didn’t see this movie, it answered the question, “What if we turned over our military system to an AI?”  Well, the answer was simple: The human race would be nuked because, according to the AI, we pose the greatest threat to the planet and to the human race.  And, of course, the only way to save the human race from advanced robots is to time travel back into the past, impregnate a stranger, so that stranger would give birth to the leader who would save mankind.  Wouldn’t it have been easier to just go back in time and kill the dude who invented AI tech?  But anyway… it was a great movie.

So, here we are in 2024, and AI has arrived.   And it kinda feels that we are living in the 1st Act of Terminator.  And AI is coming into our lives.  First it’s McDonalds, then you’re wedding, and hopefully never – the military.

Chat GTP is learning how to tell fictional stories, construct poems, and to write research papers – in seconds.   The computer brain has yet to develop a voice for itself, or how to create memorable characters, but its getting close.  It’s only a matter of time till it LEARNS, and that’s the scary thing about all of this.   AI is not a computer program.  It’s artificial intelligence.  It doesn’t need to be programmed.  It learns.  And it’s gettng smarter, and smarter, and smarter – faster than I can type this out.  And it’s only a matter of time till it can write an interesting novel – in seconds.  It’s only a matter of time till it can learn the law – in seconds.

What’s next can be rather scary.

A month ago I created a box for a hair dye company.  I wanted a girl looking at a waterfall, and a friend of mine who is great in AI, created the photo I needed.   I could have snapped this shot in real life, and it could have turned out better.  There’s a waterfall not too far from my house.  I could have hired a model.  We all could have hiked up to the location, battled the elements, and got it done.   But that would have taken hours and a lot of money.  By using the AI, I saved money and time.  Is it perfect?  Nope.  But it’s usable.

AI’s text-to-photo features are getting better every second. This really changes the landscape of the entire photography industry, some for the better, a lot for the worse. A lot of models are going to find themselves unemployed. Stock photography libraries—well, there won’t be any use for them in the near future.

And don’t get me started on SORA, the video-to-text AI that is still in its infancy.

In my early 20s, I was a professional screenwriter, and my imagination was limited by a budget.

The red-faced bosses waved their hands,”Don’t get too fancy! No animation! No explosions!” In other words, no fun stuff.  Fast-forward to the present and near future, and it looks our imagination won’t be limited by a budget anymore.  If you have a good idea for a movie, I have a feeling AI can create a movie out your notes.

SORA will change the landscape of filmmaking

So, finally,  what does this mean for your Hawaii wedding, especially if you book with me?

Well, for video stuff – nothing.  I can’t employ AI tech in videos just yet.  But maybe in the near future.

But, for photo stuff – it makes everything a bit easier for me.   Removing tourists becomes a lot easier.  Strands of hair – easier.   Footprints in the sand – easier.   Can the AI make anyone skinnier?  The answer is no.  That has to be done manually.   Can it fix a pimple?  Yes, but I can do that manually just as fast, or maybe faster.  What it can do, that I love, is expand your photo convincingly.

The original

The extended background via AI.  

Can AI exposure and color correct my photos?  Yes, but not very well.  I’m hoping that one day it can, that would really speed up my post-production process.

The original shot

I tried to extend the background to the left, right, and below, in this photo using AI – big fail.

AI can’t get everything right, but if used in the right situation, it can do things I couldn’t do manually.

The original.

The hair on the face was fixed, and the bench was removed.

Unfortunately, this doesn’t speed up post-production.  AI tech is still a bit slow.  So, this doesn’t mean you’ll be getting your photos faster.   That will change in the future, though.  This may sound scary, but technology doesn’t have to improve.  The AI just has to learn faster – and it will.  There will come a day when AI has the ability to fix photos with a click of the button.  I’m hoping it won’t learn how to plan a wedding.  If it does – oh boy, I think we’re all in trouble.

Yup, I’m a Trump supporter!  Here’s something I just created using the AI.  I think I’ll put this on a shirt.

Author information

Steve Young

THE BIG MAN at Dream Weddings Hawaii

I pretty much do everything around here, from photography and video production, to the organization of all of my weddings. As you can see, I'm also the head writer too! If for some reason you can't reach me at my direct line, or my toll free number, feel free to hit me up on my company cell at (808) 479-0685. Call anytime...well, almost anytime. Don't call on Super Bowl Sunday or when the Philadelphia Eagles are playing!

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2024 Oahu Wedding Packages

Great news everyone!  Since the cost of living on Oahu has not gone up since 2023, the price of my Oahu wedding packages is NOT going up.  That’s N-O-T!  We still can’t do weddings from Waimanalo Beach all the way down to Makapuu, but to be honest, those weren’t good locations anyway.  The wind is way too strong there, and strong wind is horrible for hair, wedding dresses, and video.  411 – anything on the east shore, for all the islands, is usually not ideal, and that’s because of those strong 15 mph tradewinds.   The best locations, in my opinion, are always west and north shores, and yes, that also applies to all islands.

THE PATRIOT PACKAGE

I still only have two Oahu wedding packages, and this is the first one of them.  I named it “The Patriot” package beacuse it was designed for military couples who were being deployed.  Well, after September 11th, all that changed, and everyone became patriots, so I opened this package to everyone.  So here’s some crazy history on this package.  It was originally in the $200 range back in the late 1990s!   That’s how expensive things have got!  And, back then, I shot on film.  Inflation is freaking crazy, people.  Hopefully, if the economy does better, and the cost of living, and the cost of doing business goes down, prices will drop.   And trust me, prices will drop because of competition.

You can always add leis, video, you name it, to this package, and all of my packages.  But here’s what you get in this one:

• MINISTER – ordained and licensed in the State of Hawaii
• PHOTOGRAPHY 1-HOUR COVERAGE – will cover the ceremony pictures and posed pictures after the ceremony. The one-hour coverage is good for either blue sky pictures OR sunset, but not both.
• 75  DIGITAL PHOTOGRAPHS – High resolution, printable up to 20×30, exposure and color corrected/enhanced.
• WEDDING PLANNING/DAY-OF COORDINATION –  You’ll know what to do before your wedding, and on the day of your wedding.  I’ll be with you every step!

$777.50

EXTRA OPTIONS YOU MAY WANT TO CONSIDER:

• HAWAIIAN CEREMONY ($50)
  • a ceremony revolving around the word aloha
  • a flower lei exchange (does not include the price of leis)
  • He’alo He’alo, this is where our couples share their first breath as husband and wife during a chant
  • Hawaiian blessing of Mahalo
  • These additions add around 5 to 8 minutes more to the length of the ceremony
• MINISTER HAWAIIAN MUSIC PERFORMANCE ($150)
  • Our minister just happens to be a professional musician/singer as well!  Here’s an inexpensive way to add music to your small wedding
  • Music will be played and sung by our minister during the processional, recessional.  And if you want, a first dance song (usually on the beach)
  • This is great for small weddings, but not good for formal or gala-style weddings.

THE ELOPING PACKAGE

The only difference between the eloping package and the patriot package is that there’s more photography coverage here.  More photography coverage means a lot more picture opportunities and a variety of shots.  All of my packages are simple.  They don’t have all those phony extras such as: apple cider toast, a cheap cake from Safeway, shell leis that are made in China, or other cheap stuff.  My competitors add all those cheap things into their packages so companies can charge you more, and then skimp on the important stuff – like photography, video, and a great minister.  If you want leis, a real wedding cake, a haku, a bouquet, a wedding singer, you name it – those are ingredients you can get from me a la carte.

Here’s what you get in the Eloping Package:

• MINISTER – ordained and licensed in the State of Hawaii
• PHOTOGRAPHY 1 and 1/2 HOURS OF COVERAGE – This will cover the ceremony, family pictures, blue sky AND sunset photography.   
• 100 DIGITAL PHOTOGRAPHS – High-resolution, printable up to 20×30, exposure and color corrected/enhanced.   100 photos equal more variety.
• WEDDING PLANNING/DAY-OF COORDINATION –  You’ll know what to do before your wedding, and on the day of your wedding.  I’ll be with you every step!

$965.00

EXTRA OPTIONS YOU MAY WANT TO CONSIDER:

• HAWAIIAN CEREMONY ($50)
  • a ceremony revolving around the word aloha
  • a flower lei exchange (does not include the price of leis)
  • He’alo He’alo, this is where our couples share their first breath as husband and wife during a chant
  • Hawaiian blessing of Mahalo
  • These additions add around 5 to 8 minutes more to the length of the ceremony
• MINISTER HAWAIIAN MUSIC PERFORMANCE ($150)
  • Our minister just happens to be a professional musician/singer as well!  Here’s an inexpensive way to add music to your small wedding
  • Music will be played and sung by our minister during the processional, recessional.  And if you want, a first dance song (usually on the beach)
  • This is great for small weddings, but not good for formal or gala-style weddings.

to watch the video, use the password: love

VIDEO COVERAGE OPTION

You can add a video to any wedding package seen here on my website, or secure it as a stand-alone service. Serious consideration should be given to video if you are having a reception back at home or if you have loved ones who couldn’t make it to your wedding. There are two options for video coverage:

• ONE CAMERA CEREMONY VIDEO COVERAGE – One camera HD coverage of the ceremony of your Oahu wedding. Includes wireless microphones, Color correction is not included with this option. For an example of this video, please click here. The video is archived and streamed on Vimeo.com forever.  The video stream can be password-protected upon request.

$200.00

• VIDEO EDIT UPGRADE – This is an upgrade to the one-camera video coverage, so you get everything in the original camera package, and 2 HD cameras to record your wedding ceremony, giving you a total of 3 camera angles. In order to utilize this package, the original “one-camera video coverage” option must be purchased. All footage is edited and color-corrected to give you a “television-like” documentation feel for your wedding. In addition, two 15 to 20-picture animated slideshows are added to the beginning and end of the ceremony footage. And if you’re curious, you do get to choose the music for the slideshow. Most couples that are celebrating a reception back at home, usually purchase this option. The video on this page is an example of what the video edit upgrade would look like.

add $400.00

this is an upgrade to the 1 camera video coverage

ADVENTURE ELOPEMENT

I started doing these in 2023 after I teamed up with Trident Adventures, an adventure company owned and operated by a retired Navy Seal.  If you’re looking to do something out of the box, let me know.  As of now, we’ve married a couple on the cliffs above Waimea, and flew a helicopter to get there.   Then, that couple jumped out of a perfectly working helicopter into the ocean from about 30 feet up.   A second after they emerged, they scuba-dived into the Pacific Ocean and swam in formation with a sea turtle.  How freaking cool is that?

To learn more about their adventure, click here

You’re probably wondering how much an adventure wedding costs.  Well, it’s not cheap, and the price is all over the place.  More than likely we’ll use one of the packages above, and then add the extras like the chopper, scuba, etc…etc…  But I can tell you that it’s cheaper than throwing a gala wedding, which will easily cost you upwards of 50k.    If you want to plan an adventure wedding, and it doesn’t have to include a chopper, just contact me.  Anything goes.

Author information

Steve Young

THE BIG MAN at Dream Weddings Hawaii

I pretty much do everything around here, from photography and video production, to the organization of all of my weddings. As you can see, I'm also the head writer too! If for some reason you can't reach me at my direct line, or my toll free number, feel free to hit me up on my company cell at (808) 479-0685. Call anytime...well, almost anytime. Don't call on Super Bowl Sunday or when the Philadelphia Eagles are playing!

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OAHU HELICOPTER WEDDINGS

This is the second chopper wedding that I planned on Oahu.   I have to say, they are freaking awesome.  It is also my first time riding in a chopper.  And yes, it was an incredible experience.   Would I do it, again?  Hell yeah!  If I had a choice, I’d do a million and one of these!

This chopper-aspiring couple found me on the internet, after finding my article about my 1st chopper wedding.  Planning the second chopper wedding was a lot easier than the first, but there were still a bit of logistical challenges that needed to be addressed.  My bride of the day planned a picnic at Kawela Bay and unfortunately, finding a place to land was a bit challenging.  The closest landing pad was at Turtle Bay, and they wanted an arm and a leg for us to touch down.  Booking a limo was too expensive, for a location that was literally a ten-minute drive away from the chopper.  The cheapest solution was to use my company van to shuttle them down the mountain, and to the beach, and then back, and that’s what we did.

Over at Magic Island, at the end of the day

So, how did the day go?

Well, it started rather early with Beauty Spell Hawaii arriving in the morning for hair and and make-up.   I also showed up to photograph and video everything, along with the actual first look.  Yes, that first look is the actual first look you see in the video.  Not a fake one that is rehearsed and made to look real.  And from that moment, I was on their hip.  After the 1st look, it was off to the chopper, where my couple was briefed on safety protocols, and the flight plan.   We took off, toured a bit of West Oahu, and then landed in Waimea for the ceremony. The wedding was performed by an ordained officiant provided by Trident Adventures.  Then, we were off to the beach for the picnic, in my company van.  We stayed at the beach as long as we could.   The couple picnicked (if that’s a word), then took pictures at the beach and the banyan trees.   Unfortunately, we couldn’t stay too long as we had to land at Kualoa Ridge at a certain time.  After Kualoa Ridge, Trident took us on a tour of Oahu through the east shore, then landed back in Honolulu.  A limo then took my couple to Magic Island right after, where we took a handful of photos.   And they finished off the day at Michels.

3000 plus feet above Sea Level

But their adventure wasn’t over.

The next day, they jumped out of the chopper and went scuba diving with Trident Adventures, and retired Navy Seal Steve Kaplan.  He’s the handsome bearded man in the video.   All of my chopper couples, I know I’ve only had two, literally kicked off their new chapter in their life by literally taking a plunge.   Or, as I would like to say, jumping out of a perfect working helicopter.  I think this is an awesome tradition, and it makes it stand out from all the other boring chopper weddings in the world.  So, with that being said, if you plan to book a chopper wedding with me, make plans to jump out of it afterward, haha.

These chopper weddings are not for everyone.  They are expensive.  But they are not more expensive than gala weddings.  And, this is a fact, they are a lot more fun than gala weddings.

Let me know if you want one!

Author information

Steve Young

THE BIG MAN at Dream Weddings Hawaii

I pretty much do everything around here, from photography and video production, to the organization of all of my weddings. As you can see, I'm also the head writer too! If for some reason you can't reach me at my direct line, or my toll free number, feel free to hit me up on my company cell at (808) 479-0685. Call anytime...well, almost anytime. Don't call on Super Bowl Sunday or when the Philadelphia Eagles are playing!

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DOES EXPERIENCE MATTER?  

I began my wedding industry career in my early 20s.  I’m not sure what year it was, but it was right after I returned home to Hawaii, from California.  I was fighting to create a “glamourous” screenwriting career in LA, decided to throw in the towel, and decided to give it a go at home.  I started a production company here in Hawaii called Canoe Girl Productions, and I hit the ground running.  In a few short years, we produced three TV shows in Japan, promoted concerts, and produced about 50% of all those cheesy in-room hotel commercials.   At the same time, we started offering photography and video services to wedding couples.

Then 9-11 happened, and everything changed overnight.   Suddenly, all of the advertising revenue my company relied on dried up, and the only thing paying the bills was the wedding industry.  And wedding couples really weren’t spending as much money as they were before, so I decided to focus on small weddings.  Months passed, and business didn’t get better for Canoe Girl Productions.  9-11 was pretty much like COVID for Hawaii.  The hotels were closed for a bit, and the tourists were gone.  And when tourists did come back, they did so – slowly.  So eventually, I decided to break apart the wedding portion of Canoe Girl Productions, and focus on small weddings.   And thus – Dream Weddings Hawaii was born.

As I tap out this article, I’m 46 and have been knee-deep in the wedding industry for over 20 years.  I’ve planned over 10,000 weddings, both large and small.   And for most of those weddings, I have also functioned as both the photographer and videographer.

I have a lot of experience in this industry.   And that can be a double-edged sword.

On the positive side, I can plan a wedding, photograph, and video it, with no hitch in my step.  And the quality and service that I deliver, is top-notch.  No matter how small or large a project is, every client always gets 1000% of my attention.  And I’m very careful on everything I do, because I’m scared of screwing up.

The negative side to having a lot of experience – well, one’s mind can start getting lazy, and it can start getting too comfortable, and stop fearing weddings.

Now, I know what you’re thinking – fear weddings?  That’s a kinda strange term.  But it is 100% true.

See, for weddings, I fear screwing up.  There’s a bunch of things to be fearful of, and too many to list.  It can be as simple as not having a vendor show up on time, rain, or not having my batteries charged, to rush hour traffic, etc..etc…  So when I have all of these fears, which almost teeters right to the edge of paranoia, I make sure these fears don’t manifest themselves into something real by double, sometimes triple-checking that everything is right.  And my mind is always racing with these fears, or concerns, all the time.  Even during the wedding, while I’m smiling, joking, and laughing with couples.

There’s a lot of fears when it comes to weddings, such as “Don’t get too close to the edge!”

I’m sorry to report that for most of my competitors, that fear has left them.   And what’s left is a shell of a company that simply doesn’t care.  And that is one of the biggest downfalls of experience.   Companies just get too overconfident in themselves and think that everything just falls into line, and a customer is just a customer.

Biggest fear here.   Making sure family members show up on time!

Experience, overall, is more of a blessing than a curse.   I just have to make sure to always keep my head on a swivel, because things are always bound to wrong, one way or another.

I do have one pet peeve when it comes to experience, though.    It’s when companies get cute with the term experience, and use it as major marketing tool.  I know several wedding companies that brag about their”combined experience.”  What the hell does that mean?   Well, it means that if I have 10 vendors with each having 2 years in the wedding industry, I suddenly have 20 years of combined experience.  WTF?  It’s technically correct, but really – WTF?

Then there are companies that brag, that they were founded in the 1970s.   Again, it’s technically correct, but that company has changed ownership 3 or 4 times, and the people performing weddings for them usually have 2 years of experience.   So, the only thing that has 50-plus years of experience is their name.  It’s like McDonald’s bragging about their experience, when the kid making your burger is too young to know that Michael Jackson was black.

What it really comes down to, is that while experience gets gold stars – experience – is the last thing you should be worried about when it comes to picking your vendor, or wedding company, or any business that you choose to spend your money on.   There are two ingredients you need to look for: quality of customer service, and quality of product, and weigh that against price.

Hope this helps :)

Author information

Steve Young

THE BIG MAN at Dream Weddings Hawaii

I pretty much do everything around here, from photography and video production, to the organization of all of my weddings. As you can see, I'm also the head writer too! If for some reason you can't reach me at my direct line, or my toll free number, feel free to hit me up on my company cell at (808) 479-0685. Call anytime...well, almost anytime. Don't call on Super Bowl Sunday or when the Philadelphia Eagles are playing!

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SECLUDED PLACES TO GET MARRIED ON OAHU

If you clicked on this link looking to find my secret places to get married on Oahu, you better keep on clicking, because you’re not going to find them here.  Or – anywhere on my site, on my podcast, or – look, I learned my lesson.  Back in the early 2000’s when I started my company, and had a pretty awesome basic HTML website, I was out there – telling all of my secrets.  “I didn’t care that my competitors scoped out my site for information,” I told everyone.

Well, I was the new kid in town, thought I knew better.  Then the old-timers retired from the wedding business, and in stepped these new-timers who were cunning as hell.  They took my information, some even took my pictures.  One company, oh wait, I’m sorry, TWO companies even created names similar to mine – to steal my business and reputation!  So, I learned my lesson.  My competitors use my site as some type of Hawaii Wedding wikipedia.

So you know what happened?  Those “secret locations” back in the early 2000’s, are not too secret anymore because of big mouth!  But here’s the good news.  I didn’t give away all my secret spots!  And the only way to find out where these locations are, is by booking with yours truly.   But I’m not going to leave you high and dry.  Here’s what truly makes a good location.

Holy Shnikies, that’s secluded, Batman!

YOUR WEDDING LOCATION IS LIKE A BURGER JOINT…

Think of your wedding in Hawaii like a restaurant.  Location is everything.  The more secluded your location, the better.  The more secluded your location, the more romantic.  That’s usually the commonsense equation.  Taking it a step further.  What also matter is where the sun sets or rises.  If you’re looking for a sunset wedding, you have to choose a shore that faces west, because the sun sets in the west.  You can’t choose the east shore for a sunset wedding because the sun set is on the opposite side of the island.  If the sun sets on the east shore, the end of the world is probably near, and that’s not good news.

What’s better?  A West or East shore wedding?  Definitely West.

Why?

Well, not only are East locations filled with tourists, who wear too much speedos, and manifest themselves into every photo I take there – but it’s very windy.  The State of Hawaii is blessed with tradewinds, which blow from east to west.   These tradewinds help keep our islands cool, and our humidity bearable.   We may have 85% plus humidity, but it doesn’t feel like it because of those those strong cold winds coming in from the north east.  Tradewinds are great humidity, not great for weddings, because you guessed it, it’s bad for hair, which makes it bad for photos.  Also, strong winds affect which way you can shoot.   You always want your model to walk into the wind.  Well, if the wind is strong, you can only walk one way.  And unfortunately, when you walk that one way, on the east coast, the background isn’t very nice.

Now, on the West coast, the tradewinds are not as strong.  Plus, when you walk into the wind, the background – is cherry.

Yes, the wind is blowing into their face

WAIT, YOUR WEDDING IS LIKE A BURGER JOINT
THAT WANTS TO GO OUT OF BUSINESS

If you noticed, I’m doing horrible on these analogies.  Pretty soon, I’m going to tell you that your wedding is like a box of chocolates, because you never know when Tom Hanks is going to show up.  But why is your business now like a burger joint that wants to go out of business?  Well, it’s because you don’t want foot traffic at your wedding.  The less tourists, the better.  The less locals, the better.   And you want a lot of parking – but you don’t people parking, in the parking lot.  I know you’re laughing now, but this is all true.

Do you know that my competitors choose the worst of the worst locations for their weddings?  The majority of the weddings on Oahu either happen on Magic Island or Waialae Beach Park.   I wrote a review of Waialae Beach Park, aka Kahala Beach that you can read here.  To sum it up, most weddings at this beach venue happen 20 feet behind a freaking condo.  And of course, clients are not told this.  Imagine traveling thousands of miles, crossing an ocean, just to get married there.   Magic Island isn’t as bad, although it’s still not ideal.  It’s filled with locals and tourists. On Maui, a lot of couples tie the knot at Makena Cove.  There are so many couples there, sometimes, you have to wait your turn to find a good spot.  I do realize, seclusion isn’t for everyone, and sometimes these locations work out.  But companies need to tell their clients the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth – right?

Guess where this is? I’m not saying!

THE PERFECT LOCATION IS VERY SUBJECTIVE

All joking aside, there really is no such thing as the perfect location. Every client will have their own definition of perfect.  This year, we had a vow renewal for a couple who had to have wheelchair access.  Well, the perfect location in that scenario was Magic Island.  And you guessed it, it was far from secluded.  There was, in fact, homeless people at this park (not year the ceremony).  But this was the only place the groom could go, get a great shot of Diamondhead, and exchange vows with his wife of 50 plus years.  So, it was perfect.

Perfect to me is a secluded location, perfect for sunset, lots of parking, and very little wind.  But that’s my opinion.  Of course, your idea differs from mine, and it most likely will, I can find that perfect location for you on Oahu.  Just call me.  It may be private estate, a public beach, or a tucked away cove behind a resort that very few people know about, but I can find it.

Give me a buzz at (808) 479-0685, or an email at info@dreamweddingshawaii.com, or just fill out the form below.

Author information

Steve Young

THE BIG MAN at Dream Weddings Hawaii

I pretty much do everything around here, from photography and video production, to the organization of all of my weddings. As you can see, I'm also the head writer too! If for some reason you can't reach me at my direct line, or my toll free number, feel free to hit me up on my company cell at (808) 479-0685. Call anytime...well, almost anytime. Don't call on Super Bowl Sunday or when the Philadelphia Eagles are playing!

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GETTING MARRIED IN HAWAII CAN GET EXPENSIVE

Yeah, I’m not one to blow sunshine up your ass.  That’s for other wedding companies, who make a living – lying to you behind a nice smile.  I’ll tell it to you straight, that weddings in Hawaii are flat-out expensive, and that’s directly related to the cost-of-living going up, up, and more up.   When I first started Dream Weddings Hawaii, I created the Patriot package for military couples who were on a budget.  That package, which included a small photo package (1 roll of 24 pictures), and a minister, only was $295.  That same package is now $777.95, with 75 digital photos.   Why is it so expensive?  Well, it’s because a freaking Extra Value Meal at McDonald’s costs $18!  Geez Louise!  Where’s the value in that?!!  Everything is up.  Gas, food, mortgage payments.

I constantly hear my couples complaining about the cost of food at their hotel.    I almost want to tell them that when you vacation in Hawaii, it’s a good time to take up intermittent fasting and skip breakfast!

I’m sad to report that some of my couples had to cancel their wedding because they just couldn’t afford it.

What advice do I have?

Well, you need to save money where you can, and shop wisely.

First of all, if you’re planning on renting a car here, and you should, always go through Costco Travel.   You know, the usual M.O. of these rental car places is to trick you into making a cheap reservation online, and then when you pick up your car, you’re hit with all of these other stupid-ass fees.  If you book through Costco Travel, the rental company won’t hassle you at all.  If you can, book your entire trip through Costco, and you will save a lot of money in the long run.  A lot of times, the hotels won’t hit you with their stupid-ass fees.   Yes, they are stupid-ass fees, let’s call them what they are.

While were at it, remember that Costco is your friend.  If you want to buy an Aloha shirt, go to Costco.  If you want to buy local food, go to Costco.  If you want to buy gifts to bring back home, go to Costco.  If you want to buy flowers, so you can DIY bouquets, go to Costco.  Sam’s club is also great.  Personally, I love Sam’s Club a bit more because I can bypass the long lines at Costco.  They beat Costco in quality and selection, for everything except beef and travel.

Don’t eat in Waikiki.   Waikiki is really expensive, except for Murakami Udon.  They are freaking cheap, freaking good, and you need to freaking go there.  Everything else is expensive, including iHop and Denny’s.  If possible, take your Costco car and eat outside of Waikiki.   Of course, it’s okay to splurge in Waikiki, but make sure if you do, choose an awesome place, and make sure it’s worth it.

Stay in vacation rental, rather than a hotel.  Here on Oahu, vacation rentals outside of “resort zones” are actually illegal.   They are still available to rent, but they are hard to find because you have to know someone, who knows someone.  But even in the resort zone, you can find gems that are awesome, that are much cheaper than what you’ll find at hotels.   Now, if you want to stay in a hotel, don’t book your stay directly with the hotel.  Work with travel agencies, even online ones, and see if you can land some deals.  More than likely, you can get an air/hotel/car package, that includes free breakfast, one night free with, you guessed it, COSTCO TRAVEL!

I think Costco should be paying me for this article.  Trust me, I’m not getting paid for it…but I will gladly take the money if they offer, haha.

By the way, if you want more of an island feel to your honeymoon, check out Team Real Estate.  They have legal vacation rentals.  It’s actually pretty cheap if you split the cost between you and your friends.  One of their awesome homes is $650 a night, which sleeps eight.  That’s about $82 a night!  The difficult part is finding 6 friends you won’t murder by the end of your honeymoon.

And now, let’s get to your wedding.

One of my adventure couples, jumping out of a perfectly working helicopter

I’m going to frank with you.  I know my name is Steve Young, but I’m going to be frank.  You’re really not going to get around to spending less for your Hawaii wedding.  Things are just expensive. But, if you spend wisely, you won’t get ripped as long as you are satisfied with the value you’re getting.   So, if you want to spend 20k on an adventure helicopter wedding, or $200 on just a minister, as long as your happy, it’s money well spent on this next awesome chapter in your life.   And of course, you have to try not to fall into the many wedding scams that are out there, such as open bars and wedding license processing fees.   Now, where do you go for great value for your wedding?  Me!  Of course!  If you haven’t noticed, I’m a straight shooter, I will tell you the way it is, even if it’s a truth that you don’t want to hear.  I’m lightyears better than my competition because not only am I honest and better looking, my quality is great.  Plus, I actually work at all my weddings as a coordinator and/or a photographer/videographer, unlike the other owners who just tend to stay home, and collect money.

So, if you’re interested in a Hawaii Wedding, give me a call at (808) 497-0685, email at info@dreamweddingshawaii.com, or just fill out the form below.   I’ll get back to you personally.   I’ll get back to you.  Not someone else.

Author information

Steve Young

THE BIG MAN at Dream Weddings Hawaii

I pretty much do everything around here, from photography and video production, to the organization of all of my weddings. As you can see, I'm also the head writer too! If for some reason you can't reach me at my direct line, or my toll free number, feel free to hit me up on my company cell at (808) 479-0685. Call anytime...well, almost anytime. Don't call on Super Bowl Sunday or when the Philadelphia Eagles are playing!

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I’VE BEEN DOING WEDDINGS ON OAHU FOR OVER 25  YEARS!

Before I get started on my rant, if you are looking for my Oahu Wedding Packages, click here or just call me at (808) 479-0685.

I’ve been planning weddings for so long that I pretty much lost count of how long I’ve been doing this and how many I’ve planned.  I know I’ve done this for over 25 years, and I’ve planned over 10,000 weddings.

Dammit, does that mean I’m old?

I started in the wedding business in the late 90s, when I was around 20 years old.  I owned an entertainment production company back then, produced 3 TV shows in Japan, promoted concerts, and created a lot of cheesy in-room hotel ads that played on a loop.  This wedding business was part of my production company, and I created it to provide stable income to the videographers on my staff.  Well, as fate would have it, September 11th happened, and all the advertising money dried up overnight, and it forced my wedding company to become the dominant money maker.   It must have been fate, because I found weddings, not trying to sound big-headed here, extremely easy to produce when compared to entertainment productions.  There were no politics involved, no unions, and couples were a lot easier to work with than actors.

And then – next thing I know, I’m 46 years old.

Things were going great…then…COVID-19 happened, we were shut down for pretty much 2 years, hyperinflation became real (not a conspiracy), and the world flipped upside down.  Men could compete in women’s athletics, steroids were okay for little girls who wanted to become boys, and whatever was on social media was considered factual (and if you didn’t accept it, you would get canceled).

Even for weddings, everything turned upside down.

Currently, the standard for the First Dance is to have a couple enter the room and immediately dance.   Back in the day (I sound old don’t I) the first dance was the last thing that happened at the reception, and then the room faded to black, the DJ pumped up Electric Slide, and everyone started partying.   Flashing back to the good ole days, restaurants took reservations, and you could drink and party on your wedding night until the sun came up.  Now, 10 pm, you gotta shut everything off.  And if you’re trying to reserve a table for 2 on the North Shore, good luck.  Very few restaurants are open late, because these kids don’t want to work.

And let’s talk about weddings in Hawaii.  Things have changed – and not for the better.

Still the best sunset I ever shot!

When I first started Dream Weddings Hawaii, there were many companies like mine.  Meaning – the owner would answer the phone, work with the bride, and work at the wedding in some capacity.  For me, I’m not only the planner, but the photographer and the videographer.  We took pride in our work.  I still do.

But now.  These other wedding companies.  They take no pride in their work.  The owners don’t show up to get their hands dirty.  That person talking to you on the phone won’t be there at your wedding.   Couples literally show up at beaches, walk around the park, and hunt for the wedding company they booked.  Customer service – OUT THE WINDOW.   And these new wedding companies, boy, are they cunning.  They will pad their packages with line items they shouldn’t charge for, such as marriage license processing.   That service is actually required by the Department of Health, to anyone who is a registered marriage performer.   So, it shouldn’t be a line item in an invoice.  Think you can talk to your photographer, or make-up artist, or any vendor before your wedding, with these new companies?  Nope.  I can go on and on.

This newer generation – sigh.  All they care about are selfies and money.  What can I say?

I’m old-school.  And if you want some of that old-school groove, that old-school honesty, give me a shot.

Author information

Steve Young

THE BIG MAN at Dream Weddings Hawaii

I pretty much do everything around here, from photography and video production, to the organization of all of my weddings. As you can see, I'm also the head writer too! If for some reason you can't reach me at my direct line, or my toll free number, feel free to hit me up on my company cell at (808) 479-0685. Call anytime...well, almost anytime. Don't call on Super Bowl Sunday or when the Philadelphia Eagles are playing!

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BEHIND THE SCENES OF AN ADVENTURE HELICOPTER WEDDING

I’ve planned over 10,000 weddings in my life (honestly, I stopped counting after I hit that number 10 years ago) and zero of them, could be considered an adventure wedding.  Well, that changed this year, when I got a call from Mark and Jen, and they asked me if I could step outside the box, and plan an adventure wedding for them.   Of course, I couldn’t say no.  As soon as I talked on the phone with Mark and Jen, we hit it off.  Our chemistry was on point!  We were like-minded to the T!  And let me tell ya people, chemistry is the primary ingredient you need between you and your wedding planner!

Mark wanted to do something extraordinary.  His ambitions – to take a helicopter to the bottom of a waterfall, and to exchange vows there.   Now, I knew there were helicopter companies on the outer islands that did this, but on Oahu, where I do 99% of my weddings, we didn’t have any waterfalls that were helicopter accessible.   And the really cool waterfalls, such as Sacred Falls, were off-limits to hikers, primarily beacuse landslides had killed many tourists there. Waterfalls may sound cool, but they are extremely susceptible to rockfalls.  It’s best not to be at the bottom of them.   So, knowing this, I forwarded Jen the websites to the helicopter companies on the outer islands, and thought I wouldn’t hear from them again.

But the next day passed, Mark and Jen called, and said, “You’re our guy!”   They really wanted to work with me, and they were willing to compromise.  They told me they wanted.  A helicopter was at the top of their list.  They wanted to fly to their location, tie the knot, take some awesome photos, and have the best day of their lives.

I thought to myself, Oh great, no pressure there.  They just want me to plan the best day of their lives.  Haha – But I can do that.

Luckily, three months before Mark and Jen contacted me, I ran into Steve Kaplan, the owner of Trident Adventures, at an expo here on Oahu.   Steve is a Navy Seal, and he created an adventure company for tourists, that evolved around his special skillsets: scuba, skydiving, shooting, and helocasting (which is the skill practiced by special forces to insert themselves into a body of water, by jumping out of a helicopter)  His company is the only one in the world, that shares this SEAL experience with the public.  And they are the only company in the world that is certified to do so.   Steve and I hit off real quick (same first names), and we started to figure out ways our company could work together.

WANNA WATCH THEIR WEDDING VIDEO?
Password: jump

Before Mark and Jen had contacted me, Steve told me that he wanted to do something with weddings, but he wasn’t sure what it was.   Well, you know what happens when you put things out in the universe, right?  It happens.   Because of Steve, I had access to a helicopter, and something even more I didn’t know.  See, Steve wasn’t just a Navy Seal, and owner of Trident Adventures, he was also an ordained minister, and a real man of God.   That meant Steve could not only supply the helicopter to me, but he could also perform the ceremony as well!  I shared the news with Mark and Jen, and they were stoked.  They couldn’t believe that they were going to get married by a Navy Seal!

On the way to the choppa!

Steve had tons of cameras mounted on heli, and got great angles for the video edit

So, we had the chopper, we had the minister, and I knew what they wanted for their package.  But we couldn’t figure out where to land.   Steve and his pilot, Dave, suggested we land high on the Ko’olau mountains.  I forwarded Jen a picture of how high we would be, and as soon as she saw that we would be 3,000 feet up, and inches away from death, she said,”No way!”  Steve and his pilot searched for locations, then finally found a landowner who would allow us to set the chopper down on their property, and to do a wedding there.   It was still rather high above the ocean, about 500 feet or so, and it was on a cliff.   You would still die if you fell off, but this height passed the test for Jen.  It wasn’t dizzy heights.  We quickly got the green light from Mark and Jenn, booked the property, Steve filed the flight plan, and we were ready to rock-n-roll.

And the adventure began…

Right after landing!

Steve marrying Mark and Jenn, above the famous Waimea Beach

The ceremony for Mark and Jen was a Christian ceremony like I never heard before.  Steve took 1st Corinthians Chapter 13, and changed it into vows.   That’s a first.  Mark and Jen eloped.  And like all elopements, there weren’t any guests.   There were no arches to block the beautiful scenery.  Jenn just wanted a tropical bouquet, her hair and make-up done, and great pictures.  Lexi, my usual make-up artist was busy, so I booked Dorys Foltin, a professional make-up artist who I worked with for decades.  Lexi and Dorys are both at the top of their game, if you’re wondering.

And Mark’s ring goes on

A few hundred-plus feet above Waimea Bay

If you’re wondering, I didn’t ride in the helicopter with Mark and Jen.   In the chopper were Dave (the pilot), Steve, Mark, and Jen.   There was room for me, but I didn’t want to appear in all of the video footage.   So, I drove up to the wedding location.  Driving there was actually way more dangerous than taking the helicopter ride there.   I had to navigate along the cliff, off-road, in my cousin’s small Toyota Corolla.   I swear, I’m never doing that again in that car.

After the wedding, we roamed the property for photo opportunities, then took a handful of snaps around the helicopter.  We spent about an hour or so on the ridgeline taking pictures.  Then, Dave, Steve, Mark, and Jen took off.   Dave took them on a tour of the North and West Shores of Oahu before returning back to the landing pad.  In the meantime, I drove to Magic Island, in town, and planned to them there at sunset, to continue picture taking.

Yes, Jen’s got legs, and she knows how to use them!

Magic at Magic Island

Before Mark and Jen arrived at Magic Island, I had them dropped off back at their hotel to freshen up.  This was actually by design, as it allowed me time to fight the traffic to get back into town, and also it provided a moment for Jen to fix her make-up.    Once we reconvened at Magic Island, we were off to the races.   The first thing on the agenda was to cut the cake!   After that, we hit all the great locations around Magic Island to get great photos.   And of course, we had to get sunset photos.

After we took the last shot, I got Mark and Jen to Michele’s, the most romantic restaurant in Hawaii.    The day before, I called Michele’s to confirm the reservation I had made them.  I told the manager there that they were getting married, and asked, “Is there anything special you could do for them?”  They told me for $35, they could arrange flowers for them, put out some candles, and give them the best seat in the house to see the fireworks.   I said, “Deal.”  I actually paid for this out of my pocket, and didn’t charge Mark and Jen.  It was my tiny gift to them.

I actually ate at Michels before.   It’s not a cheap ticket to eat there.   You’ll drop a few hundred dollars, easily.   But, by far, it is the most romantic restaurant in Hawaii.  Book it for your wedding if possible.

So you’re probably thinking, their adventure wedding was over, right?  Nope.   Far from it.   The next day, they had a helocast jump planned with Trident Adventures.  And the plan was to jump into the ocean, and scuba dive, in their wedding attire.   And they basically did just that!

Do they look a little nervous? They’re about to jump out of a perfectly working helicopter

Steve actually gave Jen a little shove, a little help, to get her out of the chopper

Once you jump out of the helicopter, a team of trained divers pulls you to safety, and quickly takes you to their boat.  From there, you change into your scuba gear, and Navy Seal Steve takes you scuba diving, as though you’re in the special ops.   You get to use these underwater machines that propel you through the ocean at a nice clip.  It’s awesome.

How much did this all cost?  Well, I tried to save them money wherever I could. My father actually played uber-driver to Mark and Jen, on their wedding day, while they were in town.  After Magic Island, I was their driver.  At first, Mark and Jen wanted to hire a limo driver to do all of this, but I told them that they would spend thousands of dollars on a limo, that would just wait for hours while they were on the chopper, wait for hours while they were at Magic Island, and wait for hours while they were at Michels.  Because my father drove them around in our company van,  Mark and Jen saved a couple of thousand dollars, which made it possible for them to do a helocast the next day.   I’m not going to disclose how much they spent on their wedding, but it was a lot cheaper than if they had planned a gala wedding back home.  But, it was probably the most any of my couples spent on an elopement.  This was a lot more difficult than planning any gala wedding.  There were so many moving parts that had to be timed perfectly.  If you’re wondering, It was the helicopter that cost a lot, not the ceremony, or the pictures.

Is an adventure wedding for you?  It could be.  Just know, it’s not cheap, but it’s still way cheaper than spending 12-75k, on catering.

Did I succeed?  Well, Mark and Jen did tell me before they left Hawaii, “It was the best day of our lives.”

More pictures and videos to come, by the way.  I’m still working on their stuff.

If you want an adventure wedding, just contact me through the form below.  After planning Mark and Jen’s wedding, as long as it’s legal, and my couple has the budget, I can plan anything.

Author information

Steve Young

THE BIG MAN at Dream Weddings Hawaii

I pretty much do everything around here, from photography and video production, to the organization of all of my weddings. As you can see, I'm also the head writer too! If for some reason you can't reach me at my direct line, or my toll free number, feel free to hit me up on my company cell at (808) 479-0685. Call anytime...well, almost anytime. Don't call on Super Bowl Sunday or when the Philadelphia Eagles are playing!

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GETTING MARRIED IN HAWAII IS GETTING EXPENSIVE

Let’s face the facts here.   Everything is getting expensive and there’s really no relief in sight.   I went to McDonald’s the other day, I paid close to $15 dollars for an extra value meal!  In Waikiki, prices for an extra value meal are creeping toward $20!!  Gas on average is about $5 a gallon, milk is $7 a gallon, don’t even get me started on the price of beef.

What does this mean for your future Hawaii wedding?  Honestly, if you’re not careful, you could end up spending a good portion of your life savings on a party, and end up starting life’s next chapter, in debt.  Luckily, I’m here to save the day!  Here are some 10 tips on how to keep your Hawaii affordable.

1. KEEP YOUR WEDDING GUESTS LIST SMALL – The largest expense for your wedding is your reception.  If you want to save money, only invite the very important people to your wedding.  Am I asking you to rank your friends and relatives?  Yes, I am!  You’ll spend around $100 per person you take to dinner.   If you have a guest list that totals 200 souls, that’s $20,000 you’ll be spending on just food.  And, here’s the kicker, you’ll be spending most of that money so your guest can have fun.  Not you, your guests.  You are entertaining your guests.  By the time you throw in the cost of a venue, decoration, photography, videography, and everything else, you could be looking at a bill that’s greater than $50,000.  If you ask me, I can think of a lot of things you can buy for 50k or more, that will last you longer than one day.
2. SET A CASH BUDGET – Okay, I understand this is common sense, but did you know that many couples don’t set a budget to their wedding?  Establish a hard ceiling that you don’t want to go over.  And that ceiling should not be set by how much you can borrow.   Don’t listen to bankers that want to encourage you to plan the wedding of your dreams, by taking out a loan.   By the time you pay off that loan, you would have spent three times the amount you borrowed.  Don’t set your budget according to how much your credit limit is, either.   Your wedding budget needs to be measured in cash.
3. SET YOUR PRIORITIES – What’s important to your when it comes to your wedding?  Do you need your family there?  Do you want great photos?  Are flowers really important to you? Establish your goals, and then establish ingredients to your wedding that you are willing to let go, or compromise on
4. ELOPE – Want to save $50,000?  Eliminate all your guests and elope.  It doesn’t matter where you elope, whether it’s here in Hawaii, your home state/country, or on mars, you’re going to save a lot of money.  How you elope is really up to you.  You could marry on the beach, or take a chopper to a remote spot.   Even if you spend thousands of dollars, it’ll be all on yourselves, not on a party for others to enjoy.
5. ELOPE ON THE BEACH –  While we’re on the subject of eloping, the cheapest and best place to do it, is on the beach.  Private venues can get rather expensive!  Make sure you choose a secluded beach, one with very little wind, and one that has a great view of the sunset.
6. HIRE A COORDINATOR/PLANNER THAT’S ON YOUR SIDE – Yeah, I guess this seems to be a bit of common sense.  But trust me when I say this, a lot of coordinators are not on your side.  They get paid commissions by their vendors, which means they are actually agents for your vendors!  And – that means they are not on your side.
7. SHOP SMART – Make sure you know who you’ll be spending your money on.  A lot of times when you book a package with a wedding company, you won’t know who your minister, photographer, make-up artist, coordinator, and so on, will be.   It’s great that you cut your budget from 50k to 2k, but if you spend $800 of that 2k on a photographer right out of college, you’re still wasting your money.  Shop smart!  Know who you’ll be paying!
8. USE COSTCO – Costco is a great resource for travel.  They probably have the best deals on rental cars, that I know of.   Full travel packages are great as well.  You can also get fresh leis from them too!   And if you plan on making your own bouquets, they have a plethora of fresh flowers to choose from.
9. USE LOUPED.COM FOR INEXPENSIVE AWESOME RINGS – Looking for great wedding rings, or even an engagement ring, check out this site.  This site was formally known as I-do-now-I-dont.  And it’s exactly what you think it is.   Engagements and weddings gone wrong.  And, while it’s bad for them, it’s great for you.
10. USE HOPPER.COM – to alert you when airfares are the cheapest.  You don’t need to use their app to book your flights.  You can just use it as an alarm.

Need more advice, or want to hire me?  Contact me at info@dreamweddingshawaii.com, (808) 479-0685, or just fill in the form below:

Author information

Steve Young

THE BIG MAN at Dream Weddings Hawaii

I pretty much do everything around here, from photography and video production, to the organization of all of my weddings. As you can see, I'm also the head writer too! If for some reason you can't reach me at my direct line, or my toll free number, feel free to hit me up on my company cell at (808) 479-0685. Call anytime...well, almost anytime. Don't call on Super Bowl Sunday or when the Philadelphia Eagles are playing!

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